COBRA continuation coverage offers employees and their families the opportunity to temporarily extend their health coverage in situations where coverage would otherwise end due to a qualifying event, such as termination of employment. After a qualifying event, COBRA continuation coverage must be offered to each person who is a qualified beneficiary. Qualified beneficiaries who elect COBRA continuation coverage will have the same rights under the plan as other participants or beneficiaries covered under the plan.

Complete your COBRA Election Notice and send it to us (electronically or via mail) within 60 days from either the date you lost coverage or the enclosed Election Notice date. Our contact information is at the bottom of this page.

The cost is listed on the COBRA Election Notice and may include a 2% administration fee as allowed by federal law. Please note that other continuation options (such as through the Health Insurance Marketplace or a spouse’s plan) may be less expensive than COBRA.

Qualified beneficiaries are individuals who will lose coverage due to a qualifying event. 

If a covered person meets one of the following requirements, they are eligible to elect COBRA continuation coverage:

• Employee or former employee
• Spouse/domestic partner or former spouse/domestic partner
  • Depending on the rules of the plan, Domestic Partners who were covered under the plan at the time of the loss of coverage may or may not be eligible for continuation coverage under COBRA. Please get in touch with us to confirm whether a Domestic Partner may continue coverage under COBRA.
• Dependent child(ren) covered under the plan on the day before the event that caused the loss of coverage
• Child who is losing coverage under the plan because they are no longer a dependent under the plan

All qualified beneficiaries will be listed on the COBRA Election Form.

Your COBRA continuation coverage is effective the first of the month following the date of your loss of coverage. If loss of coverage is due to termination of employment or a reduction in hours, COBRA coverage can be continued for up to 18 months. If loss of coverage is due to an employee’s death, divorce, legal separation, or a dependent child that will no longer be a dependent under the terms of the plan, coverage can be continued for up to 36 months.

Vimly can only accept payment in the form of a personal check, cashier's check, or money order. You can also set up payments through your bank's online bill-pay service.

If you use a personal check, you can email a photo or scan of the completed check to us (see the contact information at the bottom of this page). If you email it, please keep the original check for your records. Don’t mail it to us.

Cashier's checks, money orders, and bill-pay checks must be mailed to us (see the contact information at the bottom of this page). We cannot accept a photo or scanned copy of a cashier’s check, money order, or bill-pay check via email.

First payment for continuation coverage

You must make your first payment no later than 45 days after the date of your election. The 45 days is measured from the date your Election Notice is post-marked. Please note that your COBRA benefits will not begin until payment is received. Your first payment must be made in full, including all payments due back to the effective date of your COBRA coverage. Failure to make timely payment within the 45-day grace period will result in termination of your continuation coverage and loss of all COBRA rights.

Monthly payments for continuation coverage

After making your first payment, you’ll be required to make monthly payments for each subsequent coverage period. Payments are due on the first day of each coverage month. If you make a payment on or before the first day of the coverage period, you won’t see any break in coverage. Vimly will send you a monthly bill statement reflecting the premium due. However, the bill is provided as a courtesy only and is not required by law. The Department of Labor (DOL) states that COBRA participants are required to make their payments on time, even if they do not receive regular billing statements.

Grace periods for periodic payments

Although monthly payments are due on the first day of the month of coverage, the law allows a grace period of 30 days after the first day of the coverage period. As long as your payment for a coverage period is made before the end of the grace period, your continuation coverage will remain active. However, during the grace period, your benefits will be suspended until your premium payment is received. Failure to make payment in full before the end of the grace period will result in termination of your coverage and loss of all COBRA rights. COBRA coverage will not be reinstated. Even if you don’t receive a monthly bill, it is still your responsibility to make your payment no later than the end of the grace period.